The Betrayed Princess Rising (Lylah and Ezra) novel Chapter 182

Chapter 182

rd Person’s POV

0191

+5 Pearls

he healer arrived without delay-the finest in Lunaris, and the only one Ezra trusted with something this ragile.

he was a graceful, middle-aged woman, her presence calm yet commanding, carrying the quiet authority f someone who had mended both flesh and spirit for decades.

”

he examined Lylah carefully, her hands hovering, then pressing lightly, her senses reaching beyond the hysical-into the subtle currents of life that only a seasoned healer could read.

: did not take long.

Alpha,” she said at last, straightening. “Your Luna is unharmed. There is alcohol in her system, very little, ut enough to affect someone unaccustomed to it. Her body rejected it, and it caused her to lose onsciousness.”

zra’s jaw tightened, his wolf stirring uneasily beneath his skin. “Only that? No foreign substance? No iterference? Someone doesn’t simply collapse from drinking.”

he healer met his gaze. “I found no trace of anything else. But…” she paused, her expression turning houghtful, “if something was used, it was crafted to vanish. Some dangerous substances leave no residue.”

low, dangerous rumble built in Ezra’s chest, though he forced it down.

efore he could press further, Lylah stirred.

ler lashes fluttered, her breathing shifting as she slowly returned to consciousness.

Jamon stepped forward at once, gently ushering the healer out, leaving the two of them alone.

Ezra…” her voice came soft, still heavy with sleep.

I’m here.” He was at her side in an instant, dropping to one knee beside the bed. His hand enclosed hers.

hile his other brushed her forehead with instinctive tenderness.

How do you feel?” he murmured.

Mmm… sleepy…” Lylah yawned, her body relaxing as she leaned into his touch, nuzzling faintly against is palm like a contented pup seeking warmth.

The tension in his chest loosened-just a fraction.

Did I… fall asleep as soon as I got home?” she mumbled, her brows knitting slightly. “I didn’t even change. And I feel so sticky right now.”

His gaze darkened for a fleeting second.

She doesn’t remember the last few hours.

11:27 am

Chapter 182

Relief came, sharp and guilty.

+5 Pearls

“No,” he said smoothly, masking everything. “You were already drifting off in the living room. So I brought you here.”

“Mmm…” She shifted, unconcerned. Then her eyes blinked open a little wider, confusion slipping in. “Wait… I am in your room?”

He didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”

She studied him for a heartbeat, then simply hummed, accepting it with disarming ease. “Alright.”

A week passed in an almost unnatural calm. Lylah never once spoke of that night again because, as far as she knew, there was nothing to remember.

And while that spared her…

It left Ezra in the dark.

His wolves he had sent to hunt for Rowan Blackfang returned one by one, empty-handed.

As if the bastard had vanished into shadow itself.

The first three nights, Lylah refused to sleep alone.

“Stay,” she had murmured, her voice soft in the dim light, her fingers curling around his sleeve. “Just until I fall asleep.”

Ezra stayed.

Every time.

And in those three nights… he did not sleep at all.

How could he? His wolf was restless, pacing beneath his skin, hyper-aware of her presence-her scent woven into his sheets, his space, his very breath. She lay in his bed as though she belonged there. Vulnerable in a way that made something primal in him tighten with both reverence and hunger.

One night, unable to resist, Ezra leaned closer.

His lips brushed her forehead-so soft and fleeting it was barely more than a breath, careful not to disturb

her.

Still, his chest ached.

“Too pure, his wolf whispered.

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